Americans United - New Living Word Schoolhttps://www.au.org/tags/new-living-word-school
enSchool Voucher Nightmare: Louisiana ‘Choice’ Scheme Is Rife With Shoddy Bookkeepinghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/school-voucher-nightmare-louisiana-choice-scheme-is-rife-with-shoddy
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> It’s safe to say Louisiana is the worst state in the country right now when it comes to church-state separation issues.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Readers of this blog know Americans United has long been opposed to school vouchers. If for some reason you’re still not convinced of the negatives that accompany so-called “educational choice” ventures, consider the myriad problems that have recently come to light within Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s voucher scheme.</p><p>Independent audits released at the end of June found that of 117 schools participating in the Louisiana Scholarship Program, just one violated the program’s requirements for how schools may use their allotted taxpayer money. That’s how Louisiana Education Superintendent John White spun it, anyway.</p><p>But there’s something White failed to mention: The state actually has no idea how almost all of these participating schools are spending their voucher money, which is intended only for educational purposes, because almost none have separate accounts for voucher funds even though they are required to do so.</p><p><a href="http://cenlamar.com/2013/07/08/audit-reveals-systemic-widespread-problems/">An in-depth reading of the two audits</a> by blogger Lamar White, Jr., a law student at Southern Methodist University, revealed that most of the 117 schools could not be audited because they did not have the required separate accounts. One review checked into 52 schools, and just two of those had separate accounts. Another investigation looked into 66, many of which were repeats from the other study, and just one of those kept the mandated separate account. </p><p>As the Associated Press noted, the spending by just five schools participating in the program <a href="http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268748/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=9dpxF0BR">could actually be accounted for</a>. Several schools also refused to answer questions about their accounting practices, the AP’s Melinda Deslatte reported.</p><p>One of the few schools that was scrutinized, however, grabbed the headlines. As it turns out, the New Living Word School in Ruston overcharged the state by quite a bit. The AP said for 2012-2013 NLWS charged the state $6,300 for each of its 93 voucher students but charged just $530 per person for its 109 non-voucher students.</p><p>So it seems state money was keeping the lights on at this school. And what, exactly, was this money being used for? Not education.</p><p>Robert Mann, a professor at Louisiana State University, said in a column for the New Orleans <em>Times-Picayune</em> that the “school” doesn’t have enough computers, has no real classrooms, <a href="http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2013/07/where_is_state_voucher_money_a.html">and employs uncertified teachers who simply stick students in front of DVDs for instruction</a>.</p><p>So what was happening with that taxpayer money? One of the audits showed New Living Word was funneling money to its sponsoring church, handing over $40,235 to the sectarian organization for facilities costs and bus rentals.</p><p>This is certainly no surprise, and without knowing how most of the voucher largess is being spent, who can say how much taxpayer money is being used for direct subsidies of religious activities?</p><p>All told, the school has received $600,000 from the state of Louisiana and overcharged by $378,000, which it has been told to return. The school has also been booted from the voucher program.</p><p>New Living Word Principal Jerry Baldwin, who is also the pastor of the church, told the AP: “The findings are wrong. They're absurd. They're ridiculous. They're illogical. And we don't agree with them at all.”</p><p>It’s pretty hard to argue with the facts here, and it’s hard to imagine how this “school” could ever justify its participation in the Louisiana Scholarship Program. But sadly this isn’t even the first time the school has faced scrutiny, <a href="https://blog.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/school-daze-louisiana-approves-taxpayer-funding-for-ill-equipped-church">coming under fire last year for all sorts of shortcomings</a>. Fortunately the audit was the final straw.</p><p>SMU law student White saw the irony in the situation, pointing out that the school wouldn’t have been caught if it had just skirted the rules like most of the other participants in the voucher program.</p><p>“The only reason that New Living Word School got ‘caught’ misappropriating funds are because it was one of the [few] schools that actually used a separate account for its voucher money,” he said.</p><p>To make matters worse, the New Orleans <em>Times-Picayune</em> reports that the legislature approved a state budget in early June<a href="http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/06/louisiana_budget_compromise_sa.html"> that will double the number of voucher program participants</a>, accommodating 4,000 new students.</p><p>Add this voucher scandal to a slew of other problems in Louisiana, most recently U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu’s (D) bill <a href="https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/prayer-posturing-la-officials-seek-taxpayer-support-for-religious-program?__utma=1.1784750308.1369235897.1372274222.1373997977.3&amp;__utmb=1.2.10.1373997977&amp;__utmc=1&amp;__utmx=-&amp;__utmz=1.1373997977.3.3.utmcsr=au.org|utmccn=%28referral%29|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/search/site/new%20living%20word%20school&amp;__utmv=-&amp;__utmk=263846412">that would make sure a group that pressures children to pray remains eligible for federal funding</a>.</p><p>There was also <a href="https://www.au.org/church-state/julyaugust-2013-church-state/au-bulletin/louisiana-school-prayer-law-may-lead-to">a recent scheme</a> sponsored by Rep. Katrina Jackson (D-Monroe) and signed into law by Republican Gov. Jindal that could lead to coercive prayer in public schools.</p><p>When you add that all up, it’s safe to say Louisiana is the worst state in the country right now when it comes to church-state separation issues.</p><p>But at least that means things can only get better from here, right? Let’s hope so.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/vouchers">Vouchers</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/louisiana-scholarship-program">Louisiana Scholarship Program</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/bobby-jindal">Bobby Jindal</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/mary-landrieu">Mary Landrieu</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/katrina-jackson">Katrina Jackson</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/louisiana-education-superintendent-john-white">Louisiana Education Superintendent John White</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/new-living-word-school">New Living Word School</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Location:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/our-work/grassroots/louisiana">Louisiana</a></span></div></div>Tue, 16 Jul 2013 20:02:10 +0000Simon Brown8767 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/school-voucher-nightmare-louisiana-choice-scheme-is-rife-with-shoddy#commentsSchool Daze: Louisiana Approves Taxpayer Funding For Ill-Equipped Church School That Operates “On Faith”https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/school-daze-louisiana-approves-taxpayer-funding-for-ill-equipped-church
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">This shocking story shows precisely what’s wrong with private schools that accept vouchers – they aren’t held to the same standards of accountability as traditional public schools, yet states treat them as a solution to their education problems.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Louisiana has been <a href="http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/educational-swamp-louisiana-governor-pushes-voucher-bills">hard at work</a> expanding its school voucher program recently, and we’re already beginning to see the results. They’re not good.</p><p>The Louisiana Department of Education has just said the New Living Word School in Ruston (near Shreveport) can take up to 315 students through the state’s Minimum Foundation “scholarship” program. The program allows students at “failing” public schools to attend alternate public or private schools provided their household income is no more than 250 percent of the poverty level.</p><p>The New Living Word School, which is run by a church, currently has 122 students. Assuming it ends up with the full 315 students, it will have the most seats for Minimum Foundation Program students in the state. It will also get $2.7 million in taxpayer money, and students who attend the school will be transported there by public school buses.</p><p>Aside from the constitutionally murky problem of giving state dollars to a school run by a church, this particular school is simply <a href="http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20120525/NEWS01/120525022/School-willing-take-315-students-through-vouchers-lacks-building-computers">not up to the task</a> of educating 315 students. According to the Monroe <em>News Star</em>, the New Living Word School doesn’t have a large enough building, enough computers, enough desks or enough teachers for that many kids.</p><p>The newspaper said the state didn’t bother to check whether or not the school can actually handle 315 students because it isn’t required to. All state officials have to do is conduct a phone interview and verify that the school is state approved and doesn’t discriminate based on race.</p><p>Department of Education spokeswoman Rene Greer said parents have the opportunity to tour schools before enrolling their kids and that the Minimum Foundation Program “is designed to empower parents to make choices,” according to the <em>News Star</em>.</p><p>But fear not, naysayers. New Living Word principal and church pastor, the Rev. Jerry Baldwin, has a plan! Sort of. </p><p>Baldwin said the school is moving forward “on faith” and that New Living Word will begin construction this summer on a 12,000-square-foot building that will hold 16 classrooms, according to the report. </p><p>If the construction isn’t complete in time, however, Baldwin has yet another suspect plan. He said the school can accommodate the new students in the church’s gym. When asked by the <em>News Star</em> about the lack of computers and desks, Baldwin claimed he knows someone who may be able to build desks quickly and, “You don’t need a computer on the first day of school.”</p><p>This building is pretty critical to the school’s operations because it’s highly questionable whether its current crop of 122 students is being properly accommodated now. Classes are being held in Sunday school classrooms. These classrooms have a video monitor, no computers and only long desks that serve about 11 students, according to the <em>News Star</em>. </p><p>Baldwin told the newspaper that primary instruction for students at his school comes from watching DVDs, while a teacher is there mainly to manage the class, review homework, answer questions and give assignments.</p><p>This shocking story shows precisely what’s wrong with private schools that accept vouchers – they aren’t held to the same standards of accountability as traditional public schools, yet states treat them as a solution to their education problems.</p><p>Would the state of Louisiana allow a public school that lacks even the most basic necessities to educate students to more than double its enrollment? I would hope not.</p><p>Instead of making bad schools even worse by taking away their resources, Louisiana should spend some time trying to make its public schools better. There’s no easy way to do that, but sending children who need the most assistance to church schools that can’t provide it is not only doing those children a disservice, it’s doing the Constitution a disservice as well.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/vouchers">Vouchers</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/new-living-word-school">New Living Word School</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/minimum-foundation-program">Minimum Foundation Program</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/louisiana-department-of-education">Louisiana Department of Education</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Location:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/our-work/grassroots/louisiana">Louisiana</a></span></div></div>Wed, 30 May 2012 16:48:04 +0000Simon Brown7200 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/school-daze-louisiana-approves-taxpayer-funding-for-ill-equipped-church#comments